Florida House expected to pass bill restricting teens on social media

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Florida House is expected to vote Wednesday on a social media ban for people anyone younger than 16.

▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS

The bill would ban people under age 16 from creating accounts and would require companies to get rid of their current accounts.

The bill is likely to pass in the House and has bipartisan support.

Read: Marion County schools increase law enforcement presence after social media threats

Bill sponsors say they aren’t targeting specific social media platforms like Facebook or TikTok. But instead, are targeting the addictive features some of them have that those sponsors say are harmful.

It would also require companies to use “reasonable age verification methods” for all users who create accounts and would require companies to terminate existing accounts “reasonably known by the social media platform to be held by a minor” younger than 16.

Read: Florida bill looks to ban children from creating social media accounts

Account holders would have 90 days to dispute such terminations.

Social media companies could be fined $50,000 per violation if they don’t comply.

Watch: Florida bill would require students to learn social media safety in the classroom

Under a change Tuesday, the bill would define “social media platform,” in part, as something that utilizes “addictive, harmful, or deceptive design features, or any other feature that is designed to cause an account holder to have an excessive or compulsive need to use or engage with the social media platform.”

See more in the video above.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

©2024 Cox Media Group